<br>Although <a href="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/board/showthread.php?t=805" target="_blank">white</a> is the ideal shade in which one envisions singer Chloe Agnew, since it emphasizes the heavenly quality of her beauty, the most recent <i>Celtic Woman</i> concert also demonstrated that this young angel looks just as gorgeous in colour.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap118.jpg"></center><p>The dress that Chloe wore for the second half of the Slane Castle concert was an ultra-feminine ballgown, with sheer lace sleeves, and an extremely pretty bow on the front. It had a vintage, Victorian quality, which perfectly complimented Chloe's timeless beauty.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap009.jpg"></center><p>The colour scheme was also exceptionally well chosen, inasmuch as this gold/violent combination matched the colours with which plus-size model <a href="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/Shannon2.htm" target="_blank">Shannon Marie</a> (another Irish goddess--and one whom Chloe resembles to no small degree) is most closely associated.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/3cap015.jpg"></center><p>Like the first half of <i>Celtic Woman</i>'s Slane Castle concert--the "white" segment--the second half of the show also featured many adoring close-ups of the singer, highlighting the soft roundness of her facial features, which are as beautiful as those of any plus-size goddess, past or present.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap030.jpg"></center><p>This latter portion of the program was much livelier, however, and frequently showed Chloe, and the other members of the group, performing various dance numbers.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/3cap058.jpg"></center><p>The dance clips were a whirl of motion, revealing that Chloe moves beautifully, with the languid, ballentic grace of many voluptuous vixens.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/4cap078.jpg"></center><p>At times, during these numbers, Miss Agnew's dress hinted at the curves of her womanly figure.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap144.jpg"></center><p>In the opening of the program, one saw Chloe enter with a uniquely sophisticated expression on her countenance, and this rare glimpse of a steamy look--almost a supermodel pout--indicated, yet again, just how brilliant a plus-size model Miss Agnew could be, if she wished.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/4cap003.jpg"></center><p>During the show, one frequently saw the singer flash the audience captivating glances, testifying to her adroitness before the camera (and her sparkling personality).<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/4cap036.jpg"></center><p>One also saw Miss Agnew exhibit what Victorian author Alexander Walker termed <i>"the eyes of Venus,"</i> in which <i>"the slight elevation of the lower eyelid produces that languishing look [admired] by the Greeks . . . [t]o give this expression of gladness or of pleasure, the opening of the eyelids is diminished."</i><p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap013a.jpg"></center><p>For variety's sake, the camera occasionally took in a wide view, showing the entire <i>Celtic Woman</i> ensemble, as well as the imposing Irish castle that provided the backdrop to the show.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/4cap101.jpg"></center><p>These shots often presented Chloe (always centre stage) in profile,<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/4cap035.jpg"></center><p>or from the reverse view, treating viewers to the sight of her princess-length tresses flowing freely, as she danced.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap102.jpg"></center><p>But invariably, it was when the camera focussed on Miss Agnew by herself that her beauty shone most brightly.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap112.jpg"></center><p>Chloe's remarkable facial features as perfectly exemplify the Classical ideal as those of any plus-size model.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap075.jpg"></center><p>The glorious combination of high cheekbones,<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap006a.jpg"></center><p>a round aspect,<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/3cap023.jpg"></center><p>the "slight rise" of a "slope towards the throat,"<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap110.jpg"></center><p>and a general appearance of softness<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap065.jpg"></center><p>gives Miss Agnew the most feminine countenance of any celebrity today, matched only by Christina Schmidt, and by Shannon Marie herself.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap037.jpg"></center><p>Chloe truly seems to be the reincarnation of Lillian Russell, the most gorgeous woman ever photographed, and the fact that Miss Agnew's transcendent voice echoes the crystalline soprano that Lillian is said to have possessed reinforces the essential similarity of these two goddesses.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap004a.jpg"></center><p>The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000LC4CVA/thejudgmenofpari" target="_blank">DVD</a> of <i>Celtic Woman</i>'s Slane concert will be released at the end of the month, and Celtic Woman will embark on a nationwide U.S. tour shortly thereafter, continuing through spring and into summer. We earnestly hope that Miss Agnew attracts a great deal of publicity during that time, to further show young girls, and society in general, just how gorgeous plus-size goddesses can be.<p><center><img src="http://www.judgmentofparis.com/ca/5cap048.jpg"></center><p>And we still hold out hope that some inspired retailer will capitalize on this rare instance of an attractive, full-figured female celebrity for the youth market (arguably the first since Christina Schmidt), and will enlist her services as a plus-size model. The fact that Miss Agnew's image is so wholesome, that the group with which she performs is so popular (their CDs have topped the World Music Charts for months), and that the nature of their music is so beautiful, makes her an exemplary icon for curvy girls everywhere.

There is no guarantee that Miss Agnew would be interested in headlining a plus-size fashion promotion--but oh, if she were, what a campaign it would be . . .

Emily

4th January 2007, 01:22

Chloe's beauty is breathtaking. It really seems as if she stepped out of another time. It's uncanny to see her captured on film. One would sooner expect to see her in a Victorian Classicist painting. She's gorgeous.

I also enjoy her singing very much, as well as her choice of music. I came across a write-up about the whole Celtic Woman phenomenon the other day,

http://www.greenmanreview.com/live/live_celticwoman_2_18_06.html

and I think it accurately identifies the heart of Chloe's appeal, and that of her musical ensemble:

Celtic Woman celebrates womanhood, but the chosen depiction is more feminine than feminist, as no political message lies beneath the cosy veneer. This is not a soapbox and social revolution is not on the agenda. Instead, romance or romanticism plays a significant part with Yeats' notion of a "Romantic Ireland". This allows for a peculiarly Irish variation of Romanticism with a capital R. Images and references to home and hearth abound, and themes such as nostalgia, emigration and love assume centrality. The sea figures prominently in the background with visuals of waves lashing against desolate coastlines and lofty cliffs jutting out into the horizon.
The author also has some lovely things to say about Chloe herself, both in terms of her talent, and her appearance:

The music reflects the romantic ideology with nods to modern ethereal sounds and an elder nostalgic sensibility. . .Brief snatches of the operatic tradition emerge with an excerpt from Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Morricone's 'Nella Fantasia' from The Mission. These selections featured 17-year-old soprano Chloe Agnew. She emerges as one of the stand-out performers of the troupe. While vocalists Lisa Kelly, Orla Fallon, and Deirdre Shannon Gilsenan, are highly experienced, Chloe Agnew is a real discovery; her delivery is more Sarah Brightman than Charlotte Church with the top notes easily gliding from her robust frame.
The article rightly identifies this as a kind of popular music that is actually opposed to (modern) popular culture, and is subversive of its themes, in favour of more timeless values:

True love wins out in their womanly minds as opposed to the cosmopolitan-thought talk where "the man with the cold hard cash" as espoused by Madonna in "Material Girl"' is always Mr. Right. . .While Celtic Woman plays safe and appeals to a general audience, it also opens eyes and ears to the deeper wonders of the Irish music and song tradition and the role of the female viewpoint without resorting to feminist broadside or political soapbox.
Like the imagery of the plus-size fashion industry, this crossover classsical/popular musical form is an "alternative media" of its own, and it does suggest what a healthier, less vulgar, more beautiful culture might look like.

M. Lopez

6th January 2007, 17:47

These color images are lovely, but there really is something magical about Chloe Agnew in white.

She's utterly enchanting. She looks and sings like an angel - an angel in a Rubens painting. It would be amazing to see her in a bridal campaign.

I hope she attracts much publicity during the forthcoming Celtic Woman U.S. tour. If the media is looking for a curvy and gorgeous celebrity - here she is.

vargas

7th January 2007, 00:12

I find it a joy to watch Celtic Woman whenever it comes on, and I am always impressed with Chloe's angelic voice.

Chloe's gorgeous Victorian-style dress is a prime example of how feminine and romantic designs have made a comeback, and of how wonderful these styles look on a fuller-figured girl. The lines of the dress are simple and well made, and follow her curvy contours, and the color compliments her skin tone and golden hair. The lacy sleeves give it an extra-pretty touch. No loud, garish, clashing patterns or strange, severe shapes there!

It used to be that for a plus-size woman to have attractive clothes she had to sew, or go to a seamstress and have her clothes specially made. If she couldn't sew, or afford to have her clothes made, she was stuck with unattractive, unflattering clothes that were created simply to cover her, and make her feel ashamed of her body. Tent dresses and over-sized T-shirts come to mind. Chloe shows the world that plus-size women not only look lovely when dressed in feminine clothing, but they can outshine thin women in attractiveness.

I really like the quote from the Green Man review, and I think it bears repeating. The theme of tradition, and the rich and romantic music of Celtic Woman from talented singers who pay homage to the roots of Irish culture, is a far cry from the antagonistic and juvenile concept of Lilithfair and its ilk. I look forward to seeing many more performances from Chloe Agnew in the future!

heartbeatoz

26th January 2007, 20:31

As a newbie to this list I just came across this thread and may I say what a beautiful breath of Fresh air Chloe is, a beautiful natural young woman with a voice to match! She is a pleasant change from all of the stick insects and silicone implants that we and our children are constantly bombarded with in magazines and on TV every day.